Acura NSX Performance Manufacturing Center Tour

4.21.2016

YOLANDA VAZQUEZ: “Few cars mean more to a brand than the Acura NSX. An icon since its introduction in 1990, the NSX has always represented the pinnacle of engineering for Honda. And that’s never been truer than for the all-new 2017 model…”

Along with a chance to fully experience it on the track, MotorWeek got a guided tour of Acura’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio to see just how this supercar comes together.

American made for the first time, the cars are anything but mass produced. The Performance Manufacturing Center or PMC, handles the entire build process of the new NSX.

It starts with the car’s mostly aluminum space frame, where eight weld robots apply over 800 different welds at various points. Suspension and powertrain mounting points are then installed, which also act as part of the vehicle’s crash structure.

From there, the newly assembled frame undergoes a quality confirmation inspection, to ensure measurement and build specifications have been met.

It’s then bathed in a corrosion-resistant paint primer before being mounted to a rotisserie-style rig where sealer is applied throughout the frame.

Frame and body panels get painted in house, too, on a conveyor belt that allows for both robotic and by-hand primer and paint application.

Once the frame is fully prepped, essential components like engine and transmission, suspension, and electric motors are mounted.

Wheels and brakes, dashboards, seats, windshields, and everything else are then installed by technicians, and every bolt is checked for proper torque.

Once all body panels are installed, the car undergoes wheel alignment and brake calibration before a run on the dyno. Final steps include a visual inspection and “road-worthiness test” to simulate “real- world” road conditions.

“With plans to build only 800 cars for U.S sales this year, Acura is keeping production numbers low, to ensure build quality and exclusivity remain high.